


A Fic for Karen

by TanyaReed



Category: Relic Hunter
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-12
Updated: 2012-10-12
Packaged: 2017-11-16 03:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/534891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TanyaReed/pseuds/TanyaReed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written sometime between 2005-2008.   This was in answer to the challenge: Karen, sunblock, and a donkey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fic for Karen

“Nothing's ever easy.”

This thought went through Karen's mind as she lay on the hard packed dirt, looking up at a cloudless blue sky. The sun shone on her face, tickling it with warmth and light. It, not to mention the pain in her butt and her head, made her reluctant to move.

Close by, she heard rustling and munching, and, even closer, an overly friendly fly buzzed near her nose. She wondered idly if it was attracted to the sunblock she had recently lathered generously over her face. Already, she could feel grit from the dusty air sticking to the liquid. Some of it had made it to her lips, and she grimaced at the taste against her tongue.

A sigh escaped her and she waved one weary hand at the fly. For a moment, she was tempted to give in to self pity, but the knowledge that Sydney and Nigel were depending on her wouldn't let her.

She let the events that had led to her lying breathlessly on the ground in a country she hadn't even known existed run through her head.

Nigel and Sydney had brought her with them on their latest hunt, as they did occasionally. Then, they stashed her in the local inn while they went running through the countryside.

The inn had been a disaster. The inside had been cramped and dark, with stuffy, oven-like rooms. The worst part was that her window wouldn't open to give either light or a cool breeze. To make matters worse, Karen's plug adapters were still in the States, and the innkeeper was a lecherous fish. It had seemed like heaven when she got the call from Sydney to meet her and Nigel at some ruins. Karen had been in that hellish hotel for four days, and she was ready and willing to escape. The innkeeper went up a couple of notches in her opinion when he told her they even had transportation.

Karen returned to the present as a puff of grassy smelling air hit her face. Slowly, she turned her head to look at the monster who had thrown her to the ground.

The small gray donkey regarded her with guileless brown eyes. He chewed placidly, his expression curious. It was almost as if her were asking her why she was lying in the dirt. Karen grit her teeth. Jekyll, as she had named him, was a sweet creature—until you tried to ride him. Karen had the bruises to prove it. 

“What are you looking so smug about?” she growled softly.

Jekyll's expression didn't change.

“Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say.”

Knowing she had to move now or she never would, Karen began to carefully check for broken bones. Luckily, she found none, so she sat up. The world tilted crazily for a minute, making her catch her breath.

She thought about getting to her feet and walking back to the miserable inn. Then, she thought about Sydney and Nigel waiting for her to bring them the last important piece of the puzzle. With determination, she stood and eyed Jekyll. The donkey eyed her back.

“All right, you listen to me, you miserable donkey. I'm going to come over there and get on your back. You're going to bring me two kilometres in that direction,” she pointed, “without a fuss. You will not turn into Mister Hyde and dump me again. Do you hear me?”

The donkey seemed to wink evilly at her. Karen frowned and forced herself over to grab his reigns. Luckily, Jekyll remained passive as she clambered onto his back. She felt a little shaky, but she pushed it away. Sydney and Nigel were depending on her and she'd come through for them. She just hope they would appreciate it.


End file.
